The invention is directed to an improvement for recovering objects from great distances above the earth's surface and landing them safely onto the earth, and constitutes an improvement of the Recovery System of the patentee disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,286,951 granted Nov. 22, 1966.
The latter patent discloses a rocket booster recovery system which includes an inflatable heat shield having a blunt-nosed cone for protecting recovered objects against heat developed during descent/reentry and a toroidal gas bag for reducing the rate of descent. The object to be recovered, such as a spent or used rocket booster, is supported within the heat shield portion with its aft end resting against the nose portion of the heat shield and its cylindrical side wall is supported by a radially inner portion of the toroidal gas bag. Support webs or straps connect the torodial gas bag to the rocket booster and to the inflatable heat shield. The inflatable heat shield is fabricated from high temperature resistant fabric, such a stainless steel wire coated with a silicone elastomer to make it gas-tight, and when inflated the cone shape defines a large area and volume which correspondingly creates undesired weight. Thus, when stowed in the booster, the heat shield uses space and which might otherwise accommodate added fuel and/or could be used to lighten overall weight. When deployed the inflatable heat shield both decelerates/stabilizers and protects the booster from heat during reentry, but does so at the added cost of the double skin (double weight) of the inflated gas bag. Obviously, less weight involved in a recovery system means less cost for both launch and recovery, and no one, other than applicant, has heretofore balanced the conflicting factors of low weight and low costs on the one hand with high protection and efficient vehicle deceleration/stabilization on the other.
Another recovery system involving the disadvantages heretofore noted is essentially the extremely large inflated toroidal bag disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,518,137 in the name of Dana G. Andrews dated May 21, 1985. The toroidal bag is not only extremely large but is also completely covered by a cloth cover which adds to the weight and, of course, to the costs of atmospheric/orbital launch, entry and/or reentry. Larger weight and mass of a recovery system equate to higher velocity upon reentry, and prior art recovery systems of large size, though effective, are highly prohibitive from a cost standpoint.
Recognizing the shortcomings of the recovery system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,286,951, the assignee thereof at one time investigated the suitability of utilizing a so-called drag cone (power cone) in conjunction with the recovery system of the latter-noted patent as part of a concept called "ROOST" --Reusable Orbital One-Stage Space Truck. This concept, though practical, never materialized beyond utilizing the "Paracone" as a replacement for the parachute, as set forth in Douglas Paper 1902 prepared by applicant on behalf of Douglas Aircraft, Inc., which was presented at a symposium of the Department of Defense Joint Parachute Test Facility in El Centro, California Apr. 7--9, 1964. A similar paper involving paracones was prepared by Applicant on behalf of Douglas Aircraft Co., Missles and Space Division, published April 1970, entitled The Paracone Airborne Drop and identified as MDAC PAPER WD1286. The contents of these paper/reports are incorporated herein by this specific reference.